


The Perfect First Date

by BarbWireThong



Series: The Courtship [4]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Date Night, F/F, Fluff, Korrasami - Freeform, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:41:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,545
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27125368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BarbWireThong/pseuds/BarbWireThong
Summary: Asami Sato is a master builder...but for all her planning, she can't seem to engineer any luck when it comes to her and Korra's (fourth try at a) first date. Can Korra take over and make the night a success?
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato
Series: The Courtship [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1906675
Comments: 6
Kudos: 70





	The Perfect First Date

**Author's Note:**

> Keep an eye out. There are quite a few Easter eggs in this piece, nods to some of my favorite pieces of Korrasami fanfiction.

Asami Sato was a careful and meticulous planner, but even by her standards, the amount of energy that had gone into preparing the itinerary for this evening was incredible. It had been fashioned with all the precision of a blueprint, crafted with the care of a finely tuned engine. Every detail had been poured over, studied, and considered.

This was, after all, her and Korra’s fourth attempt at a first date.

The first time, Asami had been kidnapped before the date even started. The second, dinner had been interrupted by two gangs skirmishing over territory. The third? Well, the third, Korra had told Asami she loved her…but the bulk of the evening had been spent celebrating Zhu Li Moon’s election as president of the United Republic.

So Sato was determined to make tonight perfect, starting with her appearance. It wasn’t vanity. It was good manners. From a young age, she had been taught that taking the extra time to look your best was a show of respect.

The look on Korra’s face when she opened the door to greet her told Asami she had been _very_ respectful.

“Wow,” Korra mouthed. Finally, she found volume and echoed the thought. “Just wow.”

Sato laughed. Playfully (because she was flirting with her) and adoringly (because Korra getting tongue tied was super cute), Asami said, “You sure have a way with words.”

Korra narrowed her eyes in a glare that carried no menace.

Stepping forward to put her hands on Korra’s upper arms, Asami’s voice softened. “Seriously, though, you look gorgeous.” She fought the urge to gulp, because as strong as Korra’s biceps made her, they made Asami equally weak.

Already in the frame of Sato’s embrace, Korra stepped even closer. “Thanks for planning this, ‘Sami. I’m really looking forward to our first date.”

She placed a sweet kiss to the corner of Asami’s mouth, and although the last thing Sato wanted to do was retreat from that, there was an internal clock running in her head that knew if they did not leave soon, they would fall behind her meticulously mapped out, second-by-second schedule.

As she backed up…RIIIIIIIIIIIIIP!

“Oh, no! Asami, I’m so sorry!!!”

Korra had stepped on the hem of Sato’s dress. The resulting tear was obvious enough to necessitate a change of outfits.

“It’s all right,” Asami assured her, and she was able to keep her voice even because as frustrated as she was, it wasn’t anyone’s fault. “I have plenty of other dresses.”

She headed back to her room, while Korra followed. Sitting on the bed, Korra noticed something on the nightstand—a map with silver pins in it. The Southern Water Tribeswoman thought little of it. Probably Future Industry business. Besides, her focus was on the closet door, as she waited for her girlfriend to come out.

When Asami did emerge, she was wearing a dress that Korra thought was just as flattering as the first. Sato, though, was slightly pained by the idea that she now didn’t look quite her best for Korra.

Korra was able to kiss that disappointment away, and Asami smiled as their lips met. As a little side project, she had been working on a honeydew-flavored lip gloss, and this was her first time wearing it. Korra reacted to it with a quiet hum of approval.

“ _Spirits_ ,” she whispered when they broke apart.

Asami was so pleased by this response, she gave a little laugh.

“Shall we go to dinner?” asked Sato.

When they arrived at the restaurant, they approached the maître d’, but they arrived seconds behind another couple—a couple that appeared to have had trouble with their reservation.

After four minutes waiting for them to resolve their dispute, Korra sensed Asami starting to get antsy. It was subtle. Sato was a rather stoic woman, but Korra now knew her well enough to understand what it meant when her girlfriend crossed her arms in front of her.

“Do you want me to tell him I’m the Avatar, and he’s going to have to deal with it?” whispered Korra.

“Korra! No!” The smile Asami wore while chastising her took all the bite out of it.

“Boo,” Korra shot back.

This time Sato arched an eyebrow, and the consternation was…a little more sincere. “Korra?”

“What? It was boo-worthy.”

“And unnecessary.” Asami grabbed Korra’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go.”

“But I thought we had a reservation?”

Asami actually sighed. “With as bad as our luck has been when it comes to a first date, I may have made backup plans.” Then she smiled again. With as frustrated as Korra knew her to be, it was also pretty clear that she was proud to have had the foresight to anticipate this.

However, when they pulled into the parking lot of the next restaurant, they were greeted by the sight of an angry chef storming away from the building.

“No!” he was shouting in heavily-accented disgust. “If Chef Tosi tinks he can cook better dan me, he iz welcome to try!”

“I don’t suppose…” started Korra mournfully.

“Yup,” Sato pronounced happily, even as she put the car in reverse.

It was at the fifth stop that Korra realized the meaning behind the map with its silver pins. They were all locations where had Asami had made possible plans for the evening—places she anticipated they may have stopped together.

It was at the seventh that Korra realized all the places Sato had chosen were ones with which they shared some emotional connection. They had reunited after a three-year separation there. It was where they had enjoyed noodles following a significant victory. Their signature dish was one that reminded Korra of home. They all held some sort of meaning, and that made Korra recall other happy times, and the memories played through her mind like music. 

Ten restaurants in, and the Avatar thought that Asami had understated it when she said they had bad luck. They were downright cursed, especially considering…

“IT BURNT DOWN?”

Sato had kept her composure all evening, but she sagged seeing the charred remains of The Golden Dragon, where she and Korra had first tried fondue.

“You couldn’t have known,” Korra assured her. “That gentleman over there just told me it happened this morning. If it makes you feel any better, the arsonist was an ice sculptor.”

“Why would that make me feel any better?” Sato was so incredulous, she somehow turned “why” into a two-syllable word.

Shrugging, Korra offered that there was a poetry to it. “Fire and ice, right?”

Asami was still shaking her head in disbelief. “We should have stayed at The Wishful Genie.”

Korra walked up to Sato and placed her hands on her hips and leaned in so that their foreheads were together, trying to comfort her through her touch. “No, you were right. There was something very odd-looking about that teapot. Same with the gravy ship, for that matter.”

“Gravy ship? Don’t you mean gravy boat?”

“Opal told me it was…”

“No, I think she was pulling your leg, Korra. It’s a gravy boat.”

“Ship? Boat? I don’t understand what ocean-going vessels have to do with mealtime.”

Although she appreciated Korra’s attempt to distract her with discussion of crockery, Asami was still grasping for answers regarding their night out and suggested a picnic. “We could find a place to enjoy the sunset, and…”

KRRRRR-BOOM.

It was a good thing Korra had her arms around her, or Sato might have collapsed in response to the crack of thunder.

“I knew I shouldn’t have washed my car today,” bemoaned Asami. “That probably guaranteed it would rain.”

“Did you wash it for our date?” Korra wondered.

Asami nodded.

Korra moved her hands from Asami’s waist to the center of her lower back, drawing them tighter to each other. The raindrops were starting to fall now. “You’ve worked so hard to make tonight wonderful, ‘Sami. Maybe let me try now?”

Having closed her eyes, Korra felt, rather than saw when Sato nodded again.

“What are we going to do?” she asked, with just the slightest break in her voice.

As slight as it was, it did not go unnoticed. Korra gave Asami a kiss—quick, chaste, and reassuring. “Let’s start by going back to your place, kay?”

However, this sounded to Sato like giving up, and she wilted even further.

“We’re still on our date. Just instead of trying so hard, we’re going to start rolling with the punches,” Korra said.

Asami’s raven black hair was even darker now wet. Korra tucked a lock of it behind Sato’s ear.

 _How could someone so powerful have such a tender touch?_ Asami wondered. 

Meanwhile, Korra marveled that her super strong, always poised girlfriend was finally permitting herself to be vulnerable.

Back at the mansion, Asami allowed herself to be steered to her bedroom. Neither woman was shy, and they were both fairly practical, so Korra didn’t think anything of helping Sato out of her wet clothes.

Asami didn’t think anything of it either...until Korra’s fingers grazed her bare shoulders as she slid the sleeves of her dress down her arms. That sparked a realization in Sato, and she was shocked out of her stupor. Holding up the dress to preserve her newly discovered modesty, she retreated to the closet, offering to grab Korra something dry to wear.

Although Sato had hoped the warmth she felt in her face hadn’t been visible, Korra had seen the blush. That’s why when Asami passed her a tank top and loose-fitting pants, Korra sought to set her at ease with a grin, but the gesture had the opposite effect. Sato was even more flustered than before.

“Here,” she offered, handing Korra the outfit with one hand while still clasping her dress with the other. “I’m going to finish getting changed myself.”

When she returned, Korra was sitting cross legged on the bed, her fists together in front of her chest.

“You’re…meditating?” Asami wondered.

“Not usually my favorite thing,” responded Korra without opening her eyes, “but I think I’m going to very much enjoy this one. You see, it’s going to be a guided meditation—and you’re going to be my guide.”

Sato managed to stifle a laugh, but only because she saw how very serious the Avatar was. “Me?” she finally asked.

“You’re going to take me on that perfect date,” answered Korra. She patted the spot on the bed in front of her, indicating Asami should take a seat. Once she felt Sato had done so, she continued. “Just describe for me in detail how you wanted this evening to go…How it probably would have gone had I not stepped on your dress.”

It was disbelief, not confusion, that caused Asami to clarify. “You want me to talk about what I had planned for tonight?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

Sato took a deep breath. She felt a little silly, but Korra was clearly not going to budge on this.

The engineer put a hand on Korra’s knee. “I would have opened the door, and you would have looked at me—well, just like you did. It made me feel wanted.”

The wicked smile Korra wore confirmed it.

“We would have gone to the restaurant and not been beaten in line by a couple that doesn’t know how to do something simple—like make a reservation. The food would have been delicious, better than anything you’ve ever eaten before.

“After the meal, we would have gone to see a revival performance by the Hira’a Acting Troupe. It’s supposed to be a very romantic production, and it would have reminded us how lucky we are to have each other.

“Then we would have gone for a drive…”

Here Korra peaked. As she suspected, Asami’s eyes had closed as she, too, was now experiencing the evening vicariously. Sato’s gentle smile highlighted a serene expression that plainly conveyed her pleasure with this date-by-osmosis.

Asami continued. “You know I like to drive, and I think you like it when I take you for a ride.”

“Very true.” Korra said it quietly to let Sato know she was right without disrupting the rhythm of her vision.

“There’s a wooded area outside Republic City. It’s at an elevation that allows you to see both the city and the spirit portal. The view is so gorgeous, Korra. And we would have hiked there. After all, research says it’s good to get your heart rate up a bit when you’re on date.”

It took all her strength for Korra to suppress a giggle. The comment was so…Asami. She had done research. She took the research so seriously, she missed the way her comment sounded like an insinuation. The innuendo made Korra smile as well.

 _Yes_ , she thought. _There are probably some very pleasurable ways to get your heart rate up on a date_.

Sato was wrapping up. “We would have come back here, and I'd have asked you what dessert you wanted to cap the night off with. When you told me, it would just so happen that I’d had some prepared.

“Once we’d eaten, we would have talked and laughed and kissed until we fell asleep in each other’s arms.”

“Asami,” Korra whispered. “That sounds…”

“Perfect?” Sato supplied.

Both women had opened their eyes and were looking at each other now.

“No,” corrected Korra. “Flawless. It sounds flawless, ‘Sami. Nothing goes wrong. Nothing unexpected happens. You know what sounds perfect?”

Asami merely shook her head, and Korra took her hands into her own, rubbing her thumb over Asami’s knuckles.

“A night when my genius girlfriend makes dozens of plans, none of which work out…” Sato gave a whimper of disappointment, but Korra went on undeterred. “And that allows me to see just how much work she put into trying to create the perfect evening. It makes me want to tell her that I love her as much as she does me. _That_ is perfect.”

The weight of disappointment that had been burdening Asami disappeared at Korra’s words.

“And you know what?” Korra said. “Maybe for our second date, we just check out a pro bending match?”

Asami chuckled.

“But we’re here together now,” pointed out Korra. “Let’s light a fire in the fireplace and cuddle for the rest of the night.”

“That sounds…”

Now it was Korra’s turn to finish that sentence.

“Perfect?”

“Yeah, Korra. It really does.”

Asami started to move, planning on retrieving some wood for Korra to light with her fire bending. Korra, who still had a hold on her hands, refused to let her go.

“Do you really have my favorite dessert on hand?” she inquired.

Sato checked. “Macaroons?”

Korra nodded eagerly.

“Yes, I had a chef make them earlier…as well as 51 other desserts in case I was wrong about them being your favorite.”

This caused Korra to laugh. Of course, Sato hadn’t left that to chance. “Good! Because I might be in the mood for something sweet.”

Asami leaned in close. “So am I,” she said quietly before stealing a kiss.

“Asami Sato!” Korra protested, even while grinning so wide, her cheeks hurt. “Do you think I’m the kind of girl to kiss on the first date?”

Leaning in again and speaking lowly, Asami offered, “Oh, I hope so.”

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm loathe to even mention this, because 2020 hasn't been easy on any of us, right? But my goodness! Has this year stunk for me personally. It's just been so, so hard, guys. Writing Korrasami fiction is a sort of therapy for me, and connecting with fellow Korrasami fans has made me feel marginally less lonely. That's why I have included salutes to some other Korrasami stories in this piece. For instance, "How could someone so powerful have such a tender touch?" is a line from Heart of Flame, by Ginka_Z. I'll share that one with you, because it's the most subtle, but the rest are up to you to find. If you want to leave your guesses in the comments, I will let you know if you're right. And a sincere thank you for all your kindness and encouragement. I've needed it more than you know.
> 
> If you're also in position of feeling like you're lacking connection and need a pen pal, I'm at BarbWireThong@gmail.com. 
> 
> Oh, yeah. One last thing? Asami is right. There have been studies on the effect of an increased heart rate/adrenaline level on dating, and it's been found to be beneficial to starting a successful relationship. And that may, or may not, be the extent of my knowledge on successful relationships.


End file.
